Chapter six
Willow
“Ugh! Who does that guy think he is?” My arms are shaking with the anger racing through my body and my breathing is harsh.
How dare that man come into my house, demand I sell it to him, and then insult me when I don’t give in.
Funny how all of a sudden you’re willingly claiming the house as yours, isn’t it, Willow?
I growl in frustration and head back up the stairs to continue setting up the things I bought for the bathroom since it looks like I’m going to be staying here for a while after all—a decision I made just a few hours ago after Penn left and I realized I wanted to be here to oversee the renovations.
Knowing the best way to process the developments today is venting with my best friend, I call Shauna and place her on speakerphone as I begin opening the bags of items for the bathroom, taking out my raging frustration on the plastic.
“I haven’t heard from you in a few days. I was starting to think you’d been swept off your feet by a charming local carpenter. Or given up corporate life to start teaching yoga to retirees. Or maybe you’d started renovating a quaint but rundown—”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.” I say, cutting her off before she can throw any more clichés at me.
“I thought so. Well, what’s the update on the house?”
Naturally, I called her the second I gathered myself the other day and updated her on the mysterious inheritance that brought me here.
“I found a handyman to check out the house today. His name is Penn.”
“Oh, that’s kinda rugged. Is he hot?”
“Um… He’s tall.”
“Nice. Are you planning on climbing him like a tree?”
“Not why I called, Shauna. Can we focus, please?”
She chuckles. “Sorry. I just thought maybe you could kill two birds with one stone and get laid while you’re down there, too.”
I laugh. “He’s not the one I would want if that were the case.”
Her excitement is palpable, even from miles away. “So you’re saying there is a man that you want to get it on with?”
“Yes. I mean, no.” I slap my hand to my forehead. “We’re getting off topic.”
“Sorry. Please continue, but you’d better tell me about the man that has you all flustered.”
“There’s no man.”
“Sure…” she draws out.
“Back to the house,” I say, tearing open the plastic on the pale blue shower curtain I chose for the bathroom.
“So, Penn showed up today, we did a walk-through, and he determined that most of the issues are cosmetic. However, he insisted the roof be redone and advised that I replace the water heater. It’s working for the time being, but given the age of the house, it would probably have to be replaced upon selling it anyway.
He checked the foundation, electrical, and the air conditioner and heater, advising I get them serviced, but also asked if there was anything I’d like to change structurally.
I really want to put a cut-out in the wall separating the kitchen from the living room to open up the space, and then the more we spoke about things to fix or change, the more energized I got about watching everything come together. ”
“You sound invested.”
“I can’t remember the last time I got excited about something like this, Shauna,” I reply honestly.
“Probably when I started Marshall Advertising and worked my ass off to make it what it is today. But it’s been years since anything new has happened, and even though that’s typically how I like things, a part of me also knows this isn’t permanent.
My goal is still the same—fix the place up, sell it, and return to my life as I know it.
But, I figured I could at least stay here for the time being and maybe enjoy the change of scenery. ..”
Just saying it out loud makes the situation more real by the minute. But my heart likes the sound of this idea the more I entertain it.
Be careful, Willow. You sound like you just might enjoy yourself.
The house needs work, obviously, but it’s all manageable.
Deep down, I guess I resonate with it—like me, it’s a little worn down, with flaws I’m not sure can ever be completely mended.
With some effort, though, both the house and I can find ways to mask these scars, even if they never fully disappear.
This is my way of trying to make up for my mistakes.
The words from the letter that started all of this cross my mind as I thread the hooks through the holes in the curtain and situate it on the shower rod.
Despite being here against my wishes, something about this place is stirring up a feeling in my chest that I can’t name and, oddly, the same feeling pops up every time the man from the restaurant is near.
It’s a complicated mix of being cautious yet curious, wanting yet holding back, and annoyed but somehow still intrigued.
Still, the fact remains, that man is just another distraction, and that’s the last thing I need to pile on the already chaotic mess that is my life right now.
“That’s a huge decision, Willow. What about your company?” Shauna asks, bringing me back to the conversation.
“I’m going to still be involved, obviously, working remotely until the house is done. Katrina and I will figure out how to manage everything, but—”
“I’m proud of you, you know,” Shauna says, cutting off my thought.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I know going down there wasn’t easy for you, and now you’re facing this head-on instead of running away.”
“I don’t run away from things,” I argue, feeling immediately defensive, but it’s probably because I know deep down that Shauna is right.
“Willow, you know I love you, but let’s not rewrite history.
You weren’t sure about going down there in the first place, and as soon as you called me the other day, I was convinced you’d throw money at this and run.
But you’re not. And that’s huge.” She pauses, and then lowers her voice.
“I really think you need this, babe. You need an adventure. You need to do something out of your comfort zone for once.”
I stare at the shower wall, one half of the curtain hung up, the other still in my hands.
“Part of me agrees with you, Shauna. But hell…I’m questioning if I’m being responsible about it.
In the past week, I’ve dealt with a penis palooza within my company, inherited a house from a random stranger that knew my parents, fought off a gaggle of rabid geese, and then the sexy bar owner that acted like I didn’t belong in his town came over just a few minutes ago and asked me to sell this house to him. ”
“Geese can’t get r—” she starts before I cut her off.
"I know, I know! It’s an expression,” I huff.
“Well, we’re coming back to the geese, but you really caught my attention with sexy bar owner. Now we’re getting somewhere.” Shauna laughs and I roll my eyes. “Spill, Willow. I knew there had to be another reason for this call.”
Sighing, I muster up the resolve to admit the main source of my frustration. “I stopped into his restaurant to have a couple drinks the first night I got here, and he lectured me about my manners.”
Shauna laughs. “I like him already.”
I scoff. For someone who acts like the chief of the manners police, he sure didn’t make any effort to make me feel welcome.
At all. It’s ironic, given that his restaurant and all of Carrington Cove thrive on tourism.
And the way he demanded I give him this house.
Truth be told—a part of me was ready to hand him the keys the second the words left his lips, just to rid myself of the hassle.
It would certainly be the easiest option.
But like I said, once Penn and I started talking about the house and what needed to be done, my heart lurched with want—the desire to do it myself.
And now, knowing he wants the house so badly only makes me want to hold onto it that much more. Maybe Mr. Manners needs to earn it. And maybe he needs to stop being so damn attractive that I’m contemplating entirely unethical ways in which he could earn it.
So what if he’s tall and muscular, and his neatly trimmed beard is so tempting that I had to fight the need to reach out and stroke it?
So what if his jeans hugged his sculpted ass, indicating his clear dedication to his body?
And so what if the way he pursed his lips in frustration makes me wonder what those lips would feel like against my skin?
I’m just horny, haven’t been tended to by something other than my hand or a vibrator in very long time. And using him to scratch that itch just isn’t a smart idea.
“No. He was rude, grumpy, and way too hot for his own good,” I say, setting Shauna straight.
“Oh, then he’s definitely the one you need to sleep with.”
I shake my head. “Um, did you not hear me before when I said he wants to buy this house?”
“I did, and what I’m confused about is why that’s a bad thing. It’s perfect. Have some good hate sex while you’re down there, fix up the house, and then voila! You already have a buyer when you’re ready to sell.” I hear her rap her knuckles against a table. “What’s the problem?”
Sighing, I say, “I don’t need another distraction or obstacle right now, Shauna.”
“Yeah, that’s where I think you’re wrong. A good distraction is exactly what you need. Your life is about to be very different for the next few months, so I say you jump in with both feet, and that includes getting down and dirty with a handsome bar owner.”
I close my eyes and groan. “Why can’t you just be on my side for once?”
“Because your side is boring.”
“God, he’s so hot, Shauna,” I mutter softly, like saying the words is physically causing me pain.
She clicks her tongue. “We’ve established that. So, what’s he look like?”
I slump as I take a seat on the edge of the shower, picturing him standing on my front porch and in my living room just now. “Tall, broad, jet-black hair and a trim beard on the kind of jaw you want to lick. And his forearms…” I hum in approval.
“I love forearms,” she moans enthusiastically. “I think they’re one of the most underrated body parts on a man. Forrest’s make me feral.”